Dry Bulk Cargoes

Excel Maritime Carriers an owner and operator of dry bulk carriers and a provider of worldwide seaborne transportation services for dry bulk cargoes, announced today that the Board of Directors has increased the Company’s minimum annualized dividend guidance to $1.60 and has set the 2008 minimum annualized dividend guidance to $1.20. This guidance would result in a minimum quarterly dividend of $0.40 per common share beginning with the dividend declared for the second quarter of 2008.

Diana Shipping Inc., a global shipping transportation company specializing in dry bulk cargoes, announced that it has assumed shipbuilding contracts from two unaffiliated parties for the construction of two Capesize dry bulk carriers of approximately 175,000 dwt each for a price of $60.4 million each. The vessels will be constructed by Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. and Diana Shipping Inc. expects to take delivery of the vessels during the second quarter of 2010.

Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd a shipping company specializing in the seaborne transportation of dry bulk cargoes, announced that it has entered into an agreement to purchase a Handymax dry bulk vessel for delivery during the first quarter of 2005. The vessel, of 42,500 dwt, was built in Japan in 1987, and will be put directly into the spot and short term time charter markets.
CEO Christopher Georgakis commented, "The demand for seaborne dry bulk trade has grown tremendously over the last few

Star Bulk Carriers Corp., a shipping company focusing on the transportation of dry bulk cargoes, announced that it has moved its executive offices to new premises at 40 Agiou Konstantinou Str, 15124 Maroussi, Greece. All interested parties are asked to update their records accordingly.
Star Bulk also announced the appointment of Zenon Kleopas as the Company's new Chief Operating Officer. Kleopas has over 30 years of experience in the shipping industry and served as General Manager of

Star Bulk Carriers Corp., a global shipping company focusing on the transportation of dry bulk cargoes, held its Annual Meeting of Shareholders in Singapore recently.
At the meeting, each of the following proposals, which are set forth in more detail in the Notice and the Company’s Proxy statement were approved and adopted:
1.The re-election of Mr. Petros Pappas and Mr. Spyros Capralos as Class C Directors of the Company to serve until the 2016 Annual Meeting of Shareholders; and

Diana Shipping Inc. has time- chartered out the 75,336 dwt MV Triton to Bunge S.A., Geneva, at a gross charter rate of US$11,000 per day, minus a 5% commission paid to third parties, for a period of up to minimum September 1, 2014 to maximum October 31, 2014. The charter is expected to commence on December 8, 2013.
The owners add that this employment is anticipated to generate approximately US$2.86 million of gross revenue for the minimum scheduled period of the charter.

Quintana Maritime Ltd., a Greek shipping company specializing in dry bulk cargo, said Tuesday it secured eight vessels under a master time charter with Bunge SA at an average daily rate of $21,800.
Quintana Maritime expects to earn about $59.2 million in net revenue in 2010 as a result of the fixtures. The company said almost 40 percent of its fleet's expected net operating days are secured at fixed rates in 2010, worth about $119 million.
Source: AP

Diana Shipping Inc. (NYSE:DSX), a global shipping company specializing in the transportation of dry bulk cargoes, has entered into a time charter contract with Cargill International S.A., Geneva, for one of its Panamax dry bulk carriers, the m/v Calipso, at a gross rate of US$9,400 per day for a minimum eleven (11) to a maximum fourteen (14) month period. The charter commenced on January 24, 2009.
This employment is anticipated to generate approximately $3

Diana Shipping Inc. (NYSE:DSX), a global shipping company specializing in the transportation of dry bulk cargoes, today announced that it has entered into a time charter contract with Cargill International S.A., Geneva, for one of its Panamax dry bulk carriers, the m/v Melite, at a gross
charter rate of US$16,500 per day, minus 5% commission paid to third parties, for a period of minimum twenty-three (23) to maximum twenty-five (25) months

Greece-vased Seanergy Maritime Holdings sells its 172,173 dwt Capesize bulk carrier 'BET Scouter' for recycling
The 1995-built, drybulk vessel, built in 1995 fetched a gross price of US$12,118,537.
The ship was sold for demolition and has been delivered to its new owners. The Company will use the proceeds to reduce debt.
Following the completion of sale of the BET Scouter, the Seanergy Maritime fleet consists of ten Handysize, three Panamax

PPG’s (NYSE: PPG) protective and marine coatings business will showcase four of its’ premium marine coatings solutions at SMM event in Hamburg.
Amongst these is one of PPG’s most recent product innovations, the PPG SIGMAGLIDE 1290 fouling release coating

FreeSeas Inc. announced that on September 26, 2016, it sold to unrelated third parties the M/V ‘Free Maverick’, a 1998-built, 23,994 dwt Handysize dry bulk carrier for a sale price of $1,925,000.
The vessel’s mortgage has now been discharged.

Dampskibsselskabet NORDEN A/S has hired Christian Vinther Christensen as new head of the Dry Cargo Department.
Christian Vinther Christensen takes up his new position January 1, 2017 and becomes part of Senior Management reporting to CEO Jan Rindbo.

The worst is over for the dry bulk shipping sector, after years when too many ships chased too little cargo, yet the extent of the lost business means a full recovery is still some way off, leading ship owners said on Wednesday.
Dry bulk shipping

WE Tech Solutions (WE Tech), an energy efficiency solutions provider in the marine industry, has received an order to deliver its direct-drive permanent magnet shaft generator solution to two new 25,600 dwt dual-fueled handysize bulk carriers, with an option for two more.

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, remained unchanged on Thursday, even as rates for capesize and panamax vessels rose.
The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, supramax and handysize shipping vessels

Hellenic Carriers Limited, an international provider of marine transportation services for dry bulk cargoes, on 17 May 2016 sold the Company’s vessel HELLENIC WIND (74,000 DWT built 1997) for demolition to an unrelated third party for a total gross cash consideration of US$2.88 million.

Debuting its latest offering at Posidonia 2016, PPG’s protective and marine coatings business has unveiled a new protective system for dry bulk carrier cargo holds: the PPG SIGMASHIELD MTC system, built on coating technology that comprises a PPG SIGMASHIELD PRIME undercoat and PPG

ABS, a provider of classification services to the global marine and offshore industries, has teamed up with partners Arista Shipping, Deltamarin, GTT and Wärtsilä in the “Project Forward” joint development project (JDP) to develop a dry bulk carrier concept that employs LNG

Ministry of Shipping has formulated a new Berthing Policy for Dry Bulk Cargo for all Major Ports which will come into effect from 20th August, 2016. The objective of the new Berthing Policy is to:
• Provide a standardized framework for calculation of norms

Increasing trade and contracting supply will support a recovery in charter rates on major dry bulk shipping routes, with the prospect of China importing more coal and iron ore to combat pollution and poor quality, according to the latest edition of the Dry Bulk Forecaster

Mumbai Port Trust has allowed berthing of dry bulk cargo vessel at its OCT (Offshore Container) Terminal on trial basis following persuasion by members of Mumbai and Nhava Sheva Ship Agents Association to overcome congestion.
The two vessels that were allowed to berth at the OCT Terminal were